Response to Our Letter to the President

After months of searching for answers on funds that specifically address the needs of our military families and receiving no real answers, Defense Fellow John White, from SEN. Murray’s office kindly sent us an email with the following information:

There is not a direct fund for military families. The President requested $8.8 billion for military family support programs in his 2011 budget.

The budget request includes $1.3 billion to reduce shortages in military child care and ensure its quality remains high, and increase funding for youth programs.

Another provision will provide $439 million to build 10 new Department of Defense Education Activity Schools. Other areas of emphasis are family support programs and improved health and Mental health programs.

There are many great initiative in the President’s budget specifically focusing on the military family.

Currently, the budget is in Congress and must be for approved. Although it is not on the floor for debate yet, it will be soon as the National Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2011.

Diane, on my team, spent some time verifying the above information (thank you Di) and here’s what she discovered:

There was one amendment, to date, that I found that addresses military families: I just found H.R. 5136, National Defense Authorization Bill and there are 6 sections to the bill:

An amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 111-498 to ensure that the spouse, children and parents of a deployed or deploying member of the Armed Forces, who are not covered under the Family Medical Leave Act, have the ability to take at least two weeks of unpaid leave from their job in order to address issues that arise over the course of a deployment cycle.

Granted, the Bill is over 1100 pages so we’ve not had time to weed through the entire document; so, based on SEN. Murray’s stellar commitment to us Veterans, we will take her office’s response as an assurance that Veterans will receive the programs, resources and funding they need.

In light of the fact the Federal Government spends some $43 million dollars an hour, an investment in our veterans will see a true return in the long-term benefit to this country.